Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun will miss at least six weeks because of a severe left ankle sprain, the NBA team announced on Friday on social media site X.
Braun, a starter on Kansas’ 2022 NCAA championship team who went on to win an NBA championship with the Nuggets his first year in the league, was injured with 27 seconds left in the first quarter of Denver’s 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
According to ESPN, Braun was injured after Clippers guard James Harden, “stepped on his right foot, causing Braun to land awkwardly on his left foot.”
He returned to the court in the second quarter but immediately asked to be replaced as he was unable to continue.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported Friday that Braun “will be re-evaluated in six weeks after sustaining a left ankle sprain.”
Braun, a starter, has helped the Nuggets win nine of their first 11 games this season. He has averaged 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 49.5% from the field.
The Denver Post reported Braun, who often is assigned to guard the opponent’s best backcourt player, is expected to return sometime after Christmas.